Fruit packer&#39;s bench



Sept. 29, A1931.

A. J. BLACK FRUIT PACKERS B ENCH Filed Jan. s, 1929 j 2 SheYets-Sheet ll Inl/@nier 23 Zer'iJBZaL-k sept. 29, 1931. A, J, BLACK 1,824,979

ERUIT PACKER s BENCH Filed Jan. 5, 1929 2 sheets-Stien? `Patented Sept. 29, 1931 ALBERT mnLAoK, `or WHYITTIER, CALIFORNIA FRUIT PACKERS BENCH Application led January 3,1929. Serial No. 330,129.

This invention relatestoa bench used'in a packing house where lemons, oranges, other citrus fruits, and other fruits that require to be wrapped, are packed for shipment.

Such fruits are brought from the orchards inboxes called lugs and are graded and put into boxes that are to be delivered to the packers, and the packers wrap the separate fruits in paper wrappers of a required size, and, after wrapping each fruit, the packer packs it carefullyy and closely in the box being filled for storage or shipment.

The wrappers are usually printed papers of uniformsize carrying a trade mark or the name of the fruit; and in practicea bunch of loose` wrappers is placed on a 'board called a paper board that is placed on that side of the packers stand opposite to the side .on which the box of fruit to be packed is placed lso that the packer may ,with one hand take the fruits separately from the fruit box and with the other hand may take up a wrapper' and may wrap the fruit and put in in the shipping box.

The shipping boxes are deep and are twice as long as they are wide and are provided at the mid-length with a transverse partition that separates the box into two end compartments of equal size; and it is customary in practice to place the shipping l boxes in a sidewise tilted position on-a bench in front of the packer the top of the packthe packer for convenience in v placing the fruit in the shipping box. f v It is customary to place the paper board on top of that end of the shipping box which is opposite the end in which the fruits are being packed; and when one .compart- -mcnt is filled by the packer,git is customand bothersome; and as the work is usually done by weinen andigirls, the Work proves difficult and tiresome. f

*bunchl of kwrappers thereon in position kto An object of this invention is to'relieve the packer of such work and` to increase the speed yand facility with which the work can be done.

The invention is broadly new, basicand pioneer in that I providea tilting revolvable shipping box supportadapted to beheld aslant during the packing ofone compartment of the box and tobe thenbrought to a horizontal position then revolved half way around and then tilted again to the paclu'ng position so that thepackermay conveniently pack the other halfof the box from the `same side as before without changinghis position or the method of handling the fruitand wrappers. p g

An object of the invention is to facilitate rthe operation yof tilting and revolving the packing box and tohold the packingbox support stationary in the tilted position.

" The fruit boxes'are always placed at one side ofthe ypackers standand an object of the invention is to make it convenient for the packer to arrange the stand for right hand or left hand work according as the packer is right or left handed. Other objects, advantages, and features 4of the invention. may appear from the acf companying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, and the appended claims. The accompanying drawings illustrate the inventioni lng bench being aslant downward toward 1 Figure l is a perspectiveview of the'invention as iny use; there being also shown a` shipping box in position on the box holder; a packer standing at the' packers station; a' fragment of a fruit box at the right hand of the packer, anda paper board with` a be taken by the left handof the packer; the tilting frame `and box holder are shown in horizontal adjusted position, from which position thepacker may return the box holder to the tilted position before beginning to pack fruit into the box. I

Fig. 2 is a "fragniental elevation of the Vstand and shipping box viewed fromthe Vthe stand.

in solid lines and the adjusted position in broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation of the invention viewed from opposite the packers station and shown in adjusted horizontal position with the box in place.

Fig. l is a front elevation of the invention shown in Fig. 3, omitting the'shipping box and'showing the box holder and tilting frame tilted. f

Y VFig. 5 is a fragmentalplanview ofthe device with the box holder adjusted to the level position. .l Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental sectional detail of one of the hinges'of the tilting table. Y

^ Fig. 7 isan,enlarged"fragmentalsectional detailofthe pivot joint vof the latch. A

l'The box holder and turn-table A is shown constructed withv parallel angle ironY side rails 1,2 thatv are ,arranged infixed relation to eachother andrespectively provided with guard flanges a Vandbase flanges b1, the'latter of whicharefixed by screws 3 to a turntable plate 4' that is pivotally mountedVV by means of .a kingbolt 5 and a sleeve 6 upon a cross bar 7 of a *tilting frame B that is hinged ,by hinge pins` 8 to the upper rear iside'member 9 of a'. stationary slanting top head frame 10 'of a. supporting stand 11 1 that is mounted on casters 12 so that it may be ,easily turned around and kmoved from place .to place. on thev Hoor of the packing horizontal front member 18 of the head frame lthat is supported'by the legs 19A of The ftilting frame is provided withlanti- Afriction supports shown as inverted'casters 20,-on which the turntable plate `ljrests and is-revolvably supported'ina plane parallel to the plane ofthe top of the tilting frame, f thus allowing the turn table plate @with its Vboxholder to befreelyrevolved'on `the king bolt" 5 and supportingsleeve 6, when/the tilting framel isr brought to theA horizontal position indicated by brokenl lines in Fig.

2 Eandfsoli`dlines in Fig. 3, 121 Yisa handle by whichthe front edge of Ihe tilting frame .withvits turntable can be swung up and down to4 bring the box holder fromthexslanting to horizontal positionfl 22, is a swinging latch provided with a kneepiece-23V and pivoted by a pivot pin 24A to therails 18 at the front or operators side of the tilting frame B. The latch is provided on its front edge with a catch 25 and the stand is provided with a keeper 26 formed of staples which the catch may engage to hold the tilting frame when the same is brought to horizontal position. 27 is a helical extension spring to hold the latch 22 forward to engage the keeper when the front of' the tilting frame is lifted to bring the tilting frame to horizontal position. 28 is a springnsupportingrod pivoted to the latch 22 and running through the spring 27 and ixedtothe tilting frame, and said spring and rod are arranged to allow the latch to be retracted by the knee of the operator, thereby, as in Fig. 2, to release it fromthe keeper, and the spring will return the latch to engagement with'the keeper when rearward pressure on the knee piece is relaxed. The notch 25 in the latch 22 is spaced from the latch Vpivot 24 suchadistance that when the'tilting frame has been brought, to the level positionshown in broken lines in Fig. 2, and solid lines in Fig. 3, the notches 25 engage the keepers 26, thus to hold the tilting frame level. v

`3() indicates forwardly aslant turn table stops projecting up from upward extensions 31V of the posts that form the front legs of the stand frame. Said'turn table stops are v`in position to be engaged by the front side of the'turn `table when such table is brought into slanting position-for the fruit packing operation.v i y The box holder is shown provided with antiefriction `box supporting rollers 32journailed on cross rods`33 so that when the `boxis packed with .fruit it may be easily slid endwise off ofthe box holder along the endwise open runway formed `by the side plate 4, and made anti-friction by the rollers 32.

Vso

rails 1, 2, held together. by the turn table The packer at the front side of the stand,

as in Fig. 1, Willtake hold of the handle 21 and with knee pressed against the latch 22, as indicated in broken lines at 23 in Fig.

v2, will lower the front side. of the tilting y frame to tilting position as indicated in solid lines in Fig. 2. When the pressure of the loperators kneeis Withdrawn from the latch, the springy 27 will move the latch forward to press against the keepers 26 ready for engagement when the operator again brings Vthe tilting frame to horizontalposition.

With the'tilting frame and box C tilted as indicated in Fig. 2, the packer proceeds to pack the box and when it is filled, takes hold of the handle 21 land brings the tilting table and box to horizontal position as in Fig. 2, then turns the box half way around and shifts. the paper board D with its wrap- 4 pers E to the full endof the box and proceeds to fill' the empty compartment with wrappedy fruit as before.

If the operator is left handed and wishes to work from a station opposite from that shown in Fig. 1, she will simply reverse the stand, thus bringing the fruit box F to her left instead of to her right.

G indicates the partition dividing the box in the customary manner.

The method of use will be understood from the foregoing.

The tilting frame will be adjusted to horizontal position and a shipping box will be placed on the rollers 32, that are journalled on the cross rods 33 of the turn table, and

f then be removed, an

the packer standing in front of the stand will lift slightly on the handle 21 to ease the latch-` from the keeper, and will -press against the knee piece 23, thus retracting the latch, and will then lower the front side of the tilting frame to the slanting position where it will remain under the force of gravity as the packing operation proceeds as stated.

he end spring bars 34 are smooth cylinders fixed to the side 'rail flanges a, b, and serve to holdthe same positively spaced apart and prevent them from binding the rollers 32.

When one end compartment is filled, the packer adjusts the tilting frame and its box holder to horizontal position, whereupon the spring moves the latch into position to hold the frame in level position, then the packer or an attendant may move the box to the.

left with comparative ease by reasonof the anti-friction rollers, and the packed box will *j empty box will be placed on thev box holder, the handle 21 grasped as before, and the weight on the catch relieved, the latch released by rearward pressure of the knee on the latch, and the frame returned to tilted packing position. I claim 1. The combination withV a support; of an adjustable tilting frame hinged to the support rearwardly of the front edge thereof; means to releasably hold the front edge of the tilting frame in an adjusted position; a turn table adapted to hold a receptacle and mounted to be revolved on the tilting table; means to hold theV tilting table with its front edge elevated in an adjusted position, and knee operated means to release the table from the adjusted position. j

2. In a device of the character setk forth, comprising a tilting frame; a support therefor and a keeper; of a latch pivoted to the tilting frame and adapted to engage the keeper when the front edge of the frame is raised; a knee piece on said latch by which the latch may be released by the knee of the operator; and a handle above the kneepiece so that the front edge of the frame may be conveniently lifted by the hand, and` the latch released by the knee at the same time.

3. In a fruit packers stand, a runway having side rails and cross rollers; a turn-table support for the runway; and means to move the turn-table support to change the rollers from slanting to horizontal position, and vice versa.

4. The combination with a tilting frame, of inverted casters on the frame; a runway comprising side rails and a plate secured to the side rails and resting on the casters; and a king bolt revolvably securing the runway to the tilting frame.

5. A fruitfpackers bench comprising the combination with a support; a turn table adapted to hold a box; an adjustabletilting frame hinged to the support rearwardly of the front edge thereof; said tilting frame comprising an angle iron front rail and cross bars; said box support comprisin@v parallel angle iron side rails arranged in xed relation to each other and respectively provided with guard anges and base flanges; said base flanges being fixed to a turn-table plate that is pivotally mounted by a king bolt and a sleeve to said tilting frame; said tilting frame being provided with anti-friction supports on which the turn table plate rests and is revolvably supported in a plane parallel to the plane of the top oi" the tilting frame, thus allowing the turn table plate box support to be freely revolved on said king bolt and sleeve, when said tiltingl frame is brought to the desired. position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of December, 1928.

. ALBERT J. BLACK.

kwith its 

